Career Definition of a Wedding Consultant
Planning a wedding - once the sole responsibility of a bride, her mother and perhaps her best friend - has become a burgeoning industry for creative, organized, trend-conscious entrepreneurs. A wedding consultant assists the bride and groom with everything from a timeline and budget to the choice of flowers, wedding location, musicians, caterers, even the cut of the groom's tuxedo. The wedding consultant is not only responsible for making sure all the details of the big day play out smoothly, but also for absorbing the stress of planning so that the bride and groom may more fully enjoy the experience of getting married.
| Education | On-the-job training or completion of event planning training courses are typical |
| Job Skills | Negotiation skills, communication skills, creativity, organizational skills, ability to handle stress, knowledge of religious and cultural customs |
| Median Salary (2023)* | $43,390 (for wedding planners) |
Source: *PayScale.com
Required Education
There is no educational requirement to start a career in wedding consulting; however, many training courses, especially distance and online courses, are available for those who are inexperienced with event planning. Whether they've received their training formally or on-the-job, wedding consultants should understand the basics of business management, know how to create and stick to a budget and continually educate themselves on the latest fashions and trends in wedding planning.
Required Skills
A wedding consultant must be assertive while maintaining the diplomacy of a good negotiator. He or she must be organized, creative, able to handle high amounts of stress, and knowledgeable about a variety of religious and cultural customs. Excellent communication skills are also necessary for the successful wedding consultant - not only to communicate with clients, but for networking with other vendors in the wedding industry.
Career and Economic Outlook
According to various statistics, the average age of a first-time bride and groom continues to rise, which assumes those who are marrying have more money and less free time for wedding planning. This trend might suggest favorable job growth for wedding consultants. While many wedding consultants are self-employed, others prefer to work for established companies, such as wedding venues, bridal gown shops or florists. According to PayScale.com, wedding planners earned a median salary of $43,390 as of 2023.
Alternate Career Options
Other options to consider in this career field include:
Meeting, Convention or Event Planner
These professionals plan events and meetings, in addition to coordinating a myriad of other details. They often have bachelor's degrees and some work experience in planning or hospitality management. The demand for these services was predicted by the BLS to rise quickly, with 18% growth expected from 2021-2031. In 2021, the BLS reported an annual median salary of $49,470 for these planners.
Administrative Services Manager
The education requirements for this career vary from a high school diploma to a bachelor's degree, depending on the organization and the work accomplished there. These managers direct, plan and coordinate all of an organization's support services, often including record-keeping, mail distribution and facilities maintenance. A faster than average increase of 7% in these positions was projected by the BLS for the 2021-2031 decade. The BLS reported an annual median wage of $100,170 for administrative services managers in 2021.
